How to Open and Mark Up A .Pub File on Your Mac

If you work with Windows users, or with Windows based systems at your job, you know that one of the most annoying things to deal with is the sharing of your incompatible files. Sure, the majority of your files will work well enough, if you deal primarily in jpegs and text documents. What about .Pub files? What can you do if you want to open them on your Mac and maybe make a few notes?

Well, we can use a simple tool to allow you to open them as a PDF. Then once they are readable we can make it up with Preview. Let’s begin by opening that .pub file as a PDF. We will do that with the help of an online tool called Word to PDF. Don’t let its name fools you, it can convert a lot more than just .doc files.

Converting to a .PDF

2. Once the page loads, choose the file that you need by clicking on “Browse” in the step one box. Then choose an output name in the second box and put your email address into the third box. Then click on “Upload and convert to PDF”. This site will then convert the files and email it to your inbox.

3. Retrieve the file and save it to your desktop, or to some place where you will be able to find it easily for the second part of this procedure. Just be sure to open the document once to make sure that the original formatting stays the same.

Marking Up Your PDF

Now, we can begin marking up that PDF with Preview. You will only be able to mark it up, and not make any major changes. If you need to send notes to a collaborator, or edits to a freelance professional you have hired, it will be enough. Let’s begin by making your marks:

1. Use your normal highlight tool to select your text.

2. Choose Tools from the menu at the top.

3. In the Tools menu choose Scroll down to “Annotate”. From here you will see a variety of annotation options. You will have a lot of different options. Some of them like strikethrough, underline and highlight you will be familiar with.

Or

You can add a note – they will give you a new bar on the left side with your notes. You can click on them and type whatever you need to say.

See, all of that, with no cost to you at all. Add text will allow you to add words to your project on the document. All you have to do is click on the spot that you want to add text to when the crosshairs appear. Just be aware, while you may be able to alter the size of the box, the text inside it will not change size. You can use this same technique for adding ovals and boxes to the PDF.

Now, you can go ahead and mark it up as you see fit. Then just save the file and you can send it wherever you need to.